Travel Souvenirs: keepsakes and memories in the house

One of the ‘must do‘ things on my agenda whenever we travel is to shop for souvenirs. I usually research about the local arts and crafts of the destination upfront and once there, I shop for artifacts and objects that are unique to the place. Apart from the experience of travel, it is a great way to relive the memories when you see those souvenirs in every nook and corner of the house.

This is one of the reasons I am not a big fan of buying and decorating the house by shopping at the innumerable “decor” stores in the city. While a few of them have good stuff occasionally, I prefer to collect pieces that are exclusive to a place, rekindle precious memories of a journey or a trip and help you recount the fond stories behind buying each of the items.

Here are some of my favorite picks from my travels:

Masks: from Manali to Madhurai, I love collecting masks. My particular favorites are a set of three “Kondepalli” masks I picked up on a visit to Hyderabad and a Buddha face from Coonoor.

Pottery and ceramics: This is my all time favorite. I never tire off collecting ceramic pots, candle holders and vases from Pondicherry. They have great textures and impeccable finishing. I found some really nice pieces in the hills station of Lonavala too. I truly adore the trademark ceramic shoes, windmills and houses of Amsterdam as well.

Brassware and antiques: this again is one of my favorites. Lamps, bells and antique pots in brass and copper have a special place in my house. Most of them have been bought on my visits to Mangalore while others are from Ooty and Thanjavur.

Thanjavur is incidentally a great place to pick up copper and brass artifacts. Cochin, especially Fort Kochi is also a great option for antiques though I find some of the stores unreasonable and excessively exorbitant

Stone and Marble sculptures: You get some of the choicest sculptures in stone in the town of Mahabalipuram, 60 km from Chennai. The shopping arcade in the vicinity of the world famous Ajanta caves in Maharashtra is quite amazing with a plethora of stores. I picked up some lovely green marble artifacts on my visit there. However, you need to have your bargaining skills handy in both these places.

Magnets: this is of course, one of my ‘mindless acquisitions’ and I pick them up quite effortlessly as they showcase the ‘highlights’ of the place so well. If not anything, magnets are a must buy for me on any trip. Compact and easy to handle and pack, they find themselves all over the fridge and cupboards once I reach home!

You have made a nice collection there! I always contemplate about buying since I find it difficult to manage extra weight in my luggage 😛
Hence, I buy paintings (without the frame, of course) to remind me of my journeys! I wish I could buy those beautiful artifacts out there.

Some lovely souvenirs Rashminotes! I especially like your ceramic collection, I have a big collection of travel fridge magnets but they now live in a box because we have integrated doors on our fridge freezer so sadly I’ve no longer anywhere to display them!!

Wow, so many pretty collectibles to keep your travel memories alive. We love collecting magnets and ceramic items while travelling, they are such great souvenirs to take back home and also perfect gifts to your loved ones!!

I am coming to your house to have a look at the wonderful artifacts and the collection from your various trips…I remember picking up pipli artwork from orissa that are indeed souvenirs adorning my home.

Hello Rashmi, a beautiful post to which I find instant connection, could be due to some shared interests. For me personally, my Travel and buying Souvenirs is a joint venture :), incomplete without one another!
I share your thought about the decor items sold in furniture shops, and instead always prefer my travel memories to be seen around and giving the feel and essence to my living room and house.
Loved your post and happy to connect with you here. ashu